Titebond III or Contact Cement

[Brett Bobo]

For laminating two sheets of MDF together for a router table top, is there an advantage of contact cement over PVA glue? I used contact cement in the past with success to give an instant bond and to avoid screws in the top but with lots of clamping pressure with cauls. Since PVA glue is less viscous than contact cement, there may be voids in the bond if the MDF absorbs the PVA glue.

Thanks in advance,
Brett

[Richard Coers]

I'm no fan of contact cement for anything, except high pressure laminate and foam rubber. In your application, you are looking for structural strength. A thin layer of rubber goo will not do that.

[Bill White]

Roll on the coat of PVA for good coverage, clamp with cauls, leave it for 24 hrs.
Bill

[Myk Rian]

The surface of MDF isn't really going to absorb the glue. The edges sure will.
I made my RT top using MDF and Titebond III. Worked great.
Position the convex sides together )( to cancel out any warpage.

[Howard Acheson]

In our shop we only used contact cement. It was a lot faster and you could be back to work faster. We did lots of bank teller stations and writing desks over the years. Never had a failure. We used solvent based contact cement exclusively.

[Joe Spear]

I used contact cement that very way when I built my router table top seven years ago. Two layers of MDF, a layer of 1/4" plywood, and formica on the top and bottom. Using contact cement eliminated the need to clamp, which made the whole process easier and faster. Then I edged the whole top with one-inch-wide purpleheart to give a neat edge that wouldn't chip. Structural strength isn't at issue here. Any major stresses will be vertical, and the layers aren't going to slide apart. The top is mounted on a frame made of beech, with cross pieces underneath from edge to edge to prevent sagging. I have a Milwaukee 5625 motor in a Woodhaven lift, and the top has not sagged at all in all that time.

[Prashun Patel]

On a bench top I made I used title bond. I Predrilled screw holes beforehand from the bottom. Then I applied glue and screwd the two layers together. This eliminated the need for calls or clamps and prevented the layers from sliding around. If u don't want screws in the table, take them out after the glue sets. I found it easier than contact cement, which I have only thought necessary when gluing thin laminates like Formica.

[Jim Becker]

The challenge with using the Titebond with a large MDF layer like this is that it doesn't get absorbed into the material as readily as solid stock or plywood, so it could take a very long time to cure in the middle. Contact cement is likely a better product to use for this particular operation for that reason. If you use the traditional solvent-based product, do it outside...the fumes are nasty...and you should get a very nice bond.